“What do you even see in him?”
Listening to her father’s dissatisfied tone, Luo Shiyu murmured in her heart.
“I see his skills, I see how beautifully he sings, I see his talent—every song he writes touches my soul.”
But she only dared to think these words, not voice them aloud.
She knew her father well. Right now, he was just venting. If she talked back, it would only add fuel to the fire.
Sure enough, after grumbling for a while, Luo Yangming sighed heavily and said, “But his talent really is quite impressive. There’s a bit of Zhong Hua’s shadow in him.”
When mentioning Zhong Hua, Luo Yangming’s tone couldn’t help but fill with admiration.
However, Luo Shiyu’s little face immediately soured.
“He’s nothing but an ungrateful traitor. We nurtured him into an international superstar, and he just turned around and signed with an overseas company.”
Just talking about it made her puff up her cheeks in anger.
Luo Yangming, on the other hand, reached out and patted her head with a bitter smile. “Everyone has their own ambitions. If Zhong Hua wanted to reach greater heights in music, overseas was his only opportunity.”
Seeing that Luo Shiyu still wanted to argue, Luo Yangming quickly changed the subject.
“I’ve already spoken to the director of Star of Tomorrow. They’ll take good care of Chen An.”
Hearing this, Luo Shiyu instantly grew anxious.
Watching her reaction, Luo Yangming felt a pang of sourness in his heart, but he still reached out to stop her.
“Don’t worry. That Cai Kun keeps targeting him, so I’m giving him a fair chance. There won’t be any more online smear campaigns. If I’m not mistaken, Cai Kun will definitely challenge Chen An in this round. If the kid really has what it takes, let me see it.”
With that, Luo Yangming revealed a shrewd, calculating smile.
Luo Shiyu didn’t say anything more. She believed in Chen An.
With his abilities, defeating Cai Kun head-on would be a breeze.
…
Back at the Star of Tomorrow set.
Preparations for the second round were underway. All the contestants sat quietly beside their respective mentors in the competition venue, while the audience below consisted of ordinary viewers selected by the show.
Star of Tomorrow prided itself on authenticity—this was what director Chen Xu wanted to capture.
The thirty-six contestants were ready, each sitting below, sharpening their skills like blades before battle.
Beside Xue Qianqian, Chen An and Cai Kun sat side by side, both wearing smiles as if they were the best of friends.
But in reality…
“This time, I’ll make sure you’re kicked off this stage,” Cai Kun whispered into Chen An’s ear, his lips curling into a sinister smirk.
“What did you say?” Chen An, however, couldn’t hear him clearly over the loud noise in the venue.
“I said you’re dead (I love you),” Cai Kun spat out venomously before turning away, refusing to look at him again.
But Chen An still didn’t catch it. His hearing, enhanced by the system, was too sensitive, and with the blaring music in the background, he couldn’t make out what others were saying to him.
“So this is Chen An.”
On the other side, Yang Dami stared at the composed young man sitting there, her eyes brimming with curiosity.
He was the first person in years who had written a song that moved her to tears.
To have her “first time” taken away like this—how could she not be curious?
The competition began. As the host finished his opening remarks, the names of all thirty-six contestants appeared on the giant screen behind them.
Next came the shuffling and redistribution, followed by random selection of opponents.
As the names began rolling on the screen, everyone stared intently, their breath hitching the moment it stopped.
Chen An couldn’t see, so he had to ask the person beside him,
“Excuse me, who is my opponent?”
Cai Kun was trembling with excitement. He turned, a wide grin on his face, and said to Chen An, “Your opponent is me—Cai Kun.”
“Cai Kun?” Hearing the name, Chen An frowned slightly before replying, “Two and a half years of practice?”
The moment those words left his mouth, stifled laughter erupted around them.
“Two and a half years of practice” had become an internet meme that had spread like wildfire.
From street performers calling themselves “Kunkun” to endless edits of “Ji Ni Tai Mei,” the joke had spiraled out of control—even Cai Kun himself had been memed to death in video compilations.
“You little—” Cai Kun gritted his teeth, his eyes practically shooting flames at Chen An.
He was certain this guy was doing it on purpose. In fact, some of those viral memes had been started by him in the first place.
“Just you wait. This time, I’ll make sure you’re eliminated.”
After silently cursing in his heart, he turned away, refusing to look at Chen An.
Watching his two star contestants, Xue Qianqian couldn’t help but shake his head.
He was aware of the bad blood between them. If he had to choose, he wouldn’t hesitate to pick Chen An.
Cai Kun still didn’t understand the gap between them.
“Qianqian, two tigers can’t share one mountain. Why not lend me one of yours?” Yang Dami walked over, resting a hand on Xue Qianqian’s shoulder with a smile. “I’ll take Chen An.”
“No.” Xue Qianqian rolled his eyes and flatly refused.
This woman had no good intentions.
She was the one who rejected Chen An in the first place—now she wanted him back? Not a chance.
“Hmph, stingy.” Yang Dami wanted to say more, but noticing the camera on her, she held back.
Meanwhile, Hua Chengyu from the Supreme Voice track watched them coldly, his expression full of disdain.
In his eyes, his contestants were the best—the other two tracks were just garbage.
The only one who slightly interested him was Cai Kun from Xue Qianqian’s team. As for Chen An? He wouldn’t even spare him a glance.
He had listened to Chen An’s songs before, and all he could say was—what even was this?
No artistic value whatsoever. Neither the lyrics nor the composition would ever pass his standards.
Xue Qianqian had lost his touch, recruiting any random nobody into his team.
The competition began, with the first matchup being Supreme Voice versus Peerless Beauty.
Both contestants performed well—the Supreme Voice contestant had strong rhythm control, while the Peerless Beauty contestant showcased impressive vocals and stage presence.
Their performances were solid, but advancement depended on the judges’ choices.
Without hesitation, Hua Chengyu cast his vote for his own contestant.
Yang Dami did the same. Now, it all came down to Xue Qianqian’s final vote, which would decide who advanced.
After a brief moment of silence, Xue Qianqian looked at one of them and said, “My choice is… Peerless Beauty.”
As the words fell, Yang Dami smiled happily, while Hua Chengyu’s face instantly darkened.
“Fine, Xue Qianqian, targeting me, huh? Well, you won’t get off easy either.”